Saturday, June 11, 2016

Ginger Chocolate Cookies

I made these lovely cookies yesterday morning, because... Why not?! They are as delicious as they look, I promise!

During the hot summer months, my family uses the oven as little as possible, which is hard when you're all addicted to baked goods! It's like caging up 50 wild monkeys. Not a good idea, hah! But, thanks to my genius grandpa who more than 50 years ago, put an outdoor kitchen on their patio, we don't have to suffer! So yesterday, after whipping these lovely things up, I headed down to my grandparents house to bake them.

WARNING: Pretend i'm not telling you this... But there are no eggs in this cookie dough (not like its ever stopped me before). But it just justify's my cookie dough addiction so very well. Haha, ekkk! SOOO GOOD!

While I was baking these cookies, grandpa helped me sand and stain a lovely piece of wood as a backdrop for future food pictures! It's lovely and I'm SO excited to use it! I'm so thankful for a grandpa who is skilled at so many different things!

After finishing both the cookies and the board, grandpa and I went outside and sat on the patio and ate way too many of these cookies. They are too good to not eat a million of them at once! The ginger and chocolate just mix so perfectly!

After a few stories (and far too many cookies) later, grandpa and I decided that these cookies are definitely blog worthy (as if that's what we were trying to accomplish anyway hah)! Don't believe our judgement? Then try them out! I dare you!

Ginger Chocolate Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1) In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

2) In an electric mixer, cream the butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add the brown sugar; beat until combined. Add the molasses and beat until combined.

3) In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in 3 teaspoons of very hot water. Beat half of the flour mixture in the butter mixture. Beat in the baking soda mixture, then the remaining half of the flour mixture (Dough will seem a little dry, don't worry). Mix in the chocolate chips.